Omega Hunter
by AvelineLotus
Summary: Rylie was bitten 3 months ago. She turned and now her life is upside down and backwards. She was forced to leave her family and find a new one. But Rylie doesn't want to give up her family, can she keep her family and be accepted into her new one? When Ryan and Brendon show up and seem to show an interest in her, who will she choose?
1. Chapter 1

**_Hi Guys! First fanfic, hope you guys enjoy!_**

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Chapter 01

"How did you do it?" Amanda asked me from the backseat of the car. I had just picked up her sister from a friend's house and was taking her home.

"Do what?" She responded.

"Oh, come on Rylie, you know what I'm talking about. How did you convince our parents to let you live alone?" Amanda replied with a big spoonful of sassy attitude. For an eleven year old she sure had a lot of that. I looked at her through the rearview mirror and smirked playfully. "Why? Want to move out?" I joked.

Amanda glared at me full force through the rearview mirror. I sighed, giving in. "Well it wasn't like it was easy; it took a lot of convincing." _And some lies. _I added to myself. "I just told them I wanted to show them I can be independent and responsible. Besides, it will give me some experience when I go to college. I'll have to rent my own apartment." I hoped she bought into it, I wasn't even prepared for her to ask me this.

No such luck.

"Rylie, nobody needs 'experience' in renting an apartment." Amanda deadpanned. "And I don't even know why you want to move out! It's not like Mom and Dad aren't taking good care of us."

_But do you know how many sacrifices they've made just to do that and everything else?! _I thought but bit my tongue. I had put on a lot of stress on myself by getting involved with our parents financial business, the last thing I wanted to do was put the same weight on my sister's shoulders. Amanda continued her little ramble.

"And you don't need to show them you're independent and responsible! You have a job! And whenever you babysit me you almost never let me outside alone!" Amanda was now yelling and I could hear from the way her voice cracked that she was holding back tears. My heart squeezed.

I didn't know what to say and as I thought about a response Amanda whispered something so quietly I almost missed it. "You probably don't like us anymore."

Immediately after she said this Amanda started crying. I denied the claim at once but all I heard from my sister was more sobbing.

Amanda was obviously hurt over my sudden decision to leave. If only she knew how much this hurt me too. I didn't want to move out, but I _had_ to. I knew I didn't need to show that I was independent and responsible, my parents knew I was. They said so the moment I bought up moving out. But I needed to move out. I had to go as far as threatening to go to court to win the argument, probably convincing my parents I hated them in the process. My mother was hurt the most, barely even talking to me as we looked for my new apartment. Thank God Amanda hadn't heard half of their conversations or I would've lost her as soon as I had my mother. Dad was hurt as well. He used to always look at me with a smile and now he regarded me with careful, reserved eyes as if he had offended me and didn't want to do it again. It broke my heart.

I pulled over into the driveway of our parents' house and turned around to look at my sister. She had her face in her palms and was trying to control her breathing. Her brown hair was sticking to her hands, moist from wiping away tears.

I forced my grief down and tried to speak in a comforting tone. The way mom had when she left me with my first babysitter when I was four years old and I had cried for her not to leave me.

"Amanda…hey…Amanda." I said trying to get her to look at me. When she didn't, I reached out, put my hand on her knee and tried to catch a glimpse of her hazel eyes though her hair and fingers.

"Hey… don't cry. I'm just a few miles away…a couple minutes by car…" I tried to comfort her. "I'll still be here for you, all you need to do is call and I'll come over, whenever you need me."

Amanda lifted her head but instead of looking at me she turned torward the window. Her face was blotchy and moist. I tried to reach out and wipe her face, but my seat was constricting me.

"Hey…stop crying… I don't hate you guys, I-." But I never got to finish my sentence.

Suddenly Amanda started rushing out the car saying, "If you really meant that you wouldn't be leaving."

She almost tripped getting out of the car but caught herself and ran into the house. I got out of the car and ran after her but by the time I got to the front door, Amanda slammed it in my face and locked it. I started pounding on the door harder than I should have, frustrated at the situation. "Amanda! Let me in!" I shouted. I pounded on the door again.

"Mom! Dad!" _Pound. Pound. Pound._

I was starting to regret giving back the key when mom finally opened the door, but before I could set two feet in the house she put a hand on my shoulder. I looked into her brown eyes and knew what was coming.

"Rylie, just give her some time, she'll get over it." she said her voice filled with pain but carefully guarded. I stared at the brown haired woman who was my mother. Three months ago, before I wanted to move out, my mother would have pushed me and my sister to work out our problems and talk, not "give each other time". She believed that the sooner the problem resolved the less time grudges had to form. She never let something come between us for more than a few hours. She never would have withheld us from talking to each other and she never played middle man, lest something be miscommunicated. She believed that communication was the foundation of any relationship. As a result our family was as close as ever. But not now. Now my family was in shambles and it was my fault.

"But…" I started. However, the grief, hurt, and fury in my mother's eyes had me backing up. Where was the woman that voiced everything to me? Then again it's not like I had shared everything with her. Did I really hurt her so much that the woman didn't want to talk to me? Her daughter of seventeen years? Was our relationship really that delicate?

I gave in and ran back to my car wanting to be alone more than anything else. There wasn't even a 'How's your new apartment?' or 'Are you ready for your first day of school tomorrow?' from her. My heart felt like it was going to explode from the overload of hurt and anger I felt. I lost my family, the closest people on earth to me. The people I thought would love me no matter what. I found myself driving nowhere. The landscape changing from suburb to rural 'til I eventually reached a wooded area.

I pulled over and got out of the car, gulping in the late summer air and breathing in the scents of the forest. Still not being able to calm myself down, I walked/stumbled into the forest, my eyes blurring with tears. It was late afternoon, the sun was lighting the forest with its golden rays, casting tendrils of light shining through lit up leaves. Why was everything so beautiful when my life was falling apart?

I wanted to scream and cry. I wanted to be held in someone's arm and be told it was gonna work out, but I had nobody. Not being able to take it anymore, I shifted, not even looking to see if anyone was watching. My nails grew longer and sharper and I traded in my smooth white skin for black fur. My brown eyes turned a lovely shade of green. This was my secret, my reason for moving out, the reason my life was falling apart. I am a werewolf.

Knowing exercise was supposed to make you feel better, I dashed off deeper into the forest hoping to out run everything, until I was lost to the world. I didn't care if I would regret this in the morning. All I cared about was running so fast my grief didn't even try to catch up.

Hours felt like minutes and by the time I had collapsed to the ground in utter exhaustion, I felt like I really had out run my sorrows. My legs felt like stones but the thrill of going so fast that the world seemed to blur and bend around me overlapped my exhaustion. I studied my surroundings through half closed eyes, listening to my breathing. Everything was still and calm and I fell asleep to the sound of crickets chirping. My problems forgotten for the moment.

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**_So first chapter was kind of depressing(in my opinion) sorry about that! But I tried to make it interesting. Please tell me what you think! :D_**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 02

I woke up to soft morning light glittering through the trees. The birds were singing and everything felt so peaceful and surreal. The wind sounded so calming, passing through the trees, and seemed to blow anyway all my problems. _This would be a beautiful place to live._ I thought. I could picture myself here with a house of my own, a cute little garden, and nobody for miles to find out my secret. _But I'd be alone. _I thought.

_No_, I wasn't going to let thoughts like that ruin the beautiful moment. I laid there, on the ground, still in my wolf form letting the sunlight warm my fur. I didn't think of the reason I ran in here last night and just let the world stop for a moment- but all too soon it started spinning again. The reminder hit me hard in the gut. School.

I sat up with a little bark. _Crap! Crap! Crap!_ I thought over and over in my head, regretting my mindless wandering yesterday. I started searching for my scent trail. I found it and started following it out of the woods. _If my mother finds out I skipped the first day of school she'll probably think I'm acting out and it'll be curtains for my new apartment. _I started rushing, my face never really leaving the ground to ensure I didn't stray off path.

The deal with my parents was that I would maintain a GPA between 3.0 and 4.0, wouldn't miss school unless I was sick or had an emergency. Wouldn't host or attend parties with achohol or host parties with over five attendees. Lastly, was that I wouldn't invite boys over alone or I would move back in with my family. Though I wasn't sure how they would keep track of the last one without guarding my doorstep 24/7, moving back wasn't an option.

I was so caught up in my task that I didn't see the figure darting toward me until it crashed straight into me. I let out yelp of pain as my back made contract with something hard and solid, probably a tree. My head was spinning and I heard ringing in my ears. My vision started blacking out from the force but I could feel my attacker on top of me. Felt their arms around my torso and their head buried in the crook of my shoulder. As soon as I felt them remove their arms I started to thrash, trying to land a blow on them, preferably their face. I felt my paw hit something and heard a grunt and muted curses. The voice sounded deep. A sense of accomplishment filled me. _That'll teach you! _I thought. It didn't last long. My attacker closed their fist around my neck and started choking me. They made sure that I couldn't use my paws by sandwiching them between the earth and their body. By now I was really scared and desperately thrashed around trying to weaken their grip.

By now I had already figured out my attacker was a man. I could smell his cologne and though I was still seeing spots, I could make out some of his features. He had brown hair and pale skin. Suddenly another figure appeared in front of me and panic filled me. I couldn't take on two of them!

I couldn't make out any of his features though, just his outline. The lack of air had further darkened my vision. Just when I thought this was going to be the end of my pathetic life, the newcomer tore my attacker off of me and I gasped for air_._ Then in a blink of an eye they were gone. _Poof._

* * *

A faint masculine cologne still hung in the air when my head stopped spinning and I could see clearly. My attackers hadn't returned. My body was stiff all over and my back hurt like heck. I carefully picked myself up off the ground. It took all my strength to just shake the dirt off my fur, knowing it would appear on my clothes when I shifted later. Rage flowed though me, and I had an urge to track down and kill my mysterious attacker, make him pay.

My whole back felt like it was on fire, but I guess that was good since the fact that I could feel pain meant my spinal cord wasn't damaged. It was weird though, the force from the impact should have fractured something. Being a werewolf must have given my body resilience to damage or something. I was still finding out the perks of being a hairy monster. I've only been this way for three months. So far I only know that I have night-vision, enhanced senses, physical strength and endurance, and damage resistance. I also seemed to have some what of an animal instinct. Whenever I saw woodland creatures, even bunnies, I had a sudden urge to give chase and kill. And that really creped me out because one, I loved bunnies, even had one as a pet before, and secondly gross.

This time when I went back to following my scent trail I was more cautious of the woods around me. Every time I saw something move out of the corner of my eye I tensed. But nobody else showed up. It was only me and the woodland creatures. Though the attack had scared the crap out of me, I was furious. Who the hell attacked somebody out of nowhere? Ok, rapists, murderers, and stalkers, but damn did it hurt! I could barely walk.

Finally I found my car on the road. Ever so painfully, I shifted back into human form and collapsed into the front seat. I took a minute to rub my back and check the time. Eleven thirty. Hopefully I could make it to lunch.

* * *

I didn't make it to lunch. After stopping by my apartment to shower and change, I made a quick run to Starbucks, hoping to dull my pain with coffee and ibuprofen. When I got to school I was about five minutes too late to get to class on time. It didn't help that the school was HUGE. My back hurt too much to run so I settled for speed walking.

"Buenas tardes!" the Spanish teacher, Mrs. Padilla, greeted me as I walked through the door at the back of the room. I smiled back in return and quickly found an empty seat, keeping my head down. I spent the rest of class time thinking of my aching back and my predicament this morning. No sane person would attack a wolf with their bare hands. So, assuming they were sane, they had to be supernatural. I hadn't ever met another supernatural besides the werewolf that bit me (though I never saw them in human form). What were they? Other werewolves? Vampires? Demons? Another thing, how had the attackers been there one second and gone the next? Nobody could just vanish like that. I knew that supernaturals had heightened speed and strength but _I_ couldn't run that fast. Maybe I blacked out? The bell rang and I gathered my stuff. I hoped that they hadn't gone over anything important in that lesson.

As I entered the room for my next class and sat in an empty seat I promised myself I would listen this time. Then I heard a masculine voice ask "Rylie?" I looked up, a boy with blond hair and brown eyes stood in front of me, staring at me in recognition. It was Ryan Jace.

**_Please tell me what you think of chapter two! :) _**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 03

I was filled with a mixture of emotions, so I just sat there staring at him, mouth gaping, not being able to force out words. Ryan was here. After he and his family disappeared without a word three years ago, I thought I would never see him again. I missed him, but I was mad at him. When he and his family 'disappeared', I had to find out from his neighbors that they'd moved to Virginia. His _neighbors_. He didn't even have it in him to tell me personally. _And_ he never bothered to call me, not even _once_. Even after I left him like thirty voicemails.

Ryan laughed taking the seat across from me, "It's nice to see you too." Oh, no. He did _not_ just do that. He did not get to disappear, ignore my calls, come back, and act like long-time-no-see buds. His friendly smile was the last straw.

"You moved to Virginia." I said icily.

Ryan sighed; he was probably expecting me to bury the hatchet right off the bat. Tough lucky buddy.

"I was gonna tell you-" he started off, but I interrupted him.

"And when was that gonna be? After I left my hundredth voicemail? Or when you came back?"

I made my hands imitate talking mouths, and my voice like Ryan's "Oh, by the way Rylie I moved half way across the country three years ago. Sorry I didn't call."

Then I imitated a ditzy girl's voice "Oh really? Cause I never noticed you left, I mean we weren't good friends or anything. But that's okay cause-"

Ryan grabbed my hands gaining my attention and shutting me up. His face was no longer light and friendly, but serious and pleading. "Look Rylie, I'm sorry I didn't tell you, I-" But the teacher walked in just then and signaled the beginning of class.

"We'll talk later." Ryan said before turning toward the front of the class. Ryan's unexpected turn up succeeded in preventing me from listening to the lesson again. I spent the next hour glaring at my paper, bringing up past emotions of confusion, hurt, and anger. Why couldn't he tell me he was moving? Or even bother to call?

However other more enjoyable memories came to mind and mixed in with my hurt. Them having fun with friends after school and laughing, swimming in his backyard pool, and pulling pranks on their friends. Then, somewhere along the line compassion squeezed in and I grudgingly decided I wouldn't let something stupid like this come between making up our friendship. He was one of my best friends in the past and I didn't want to give that up.

Still, when the end of class came, I avoided looking at him and rushed out the class, barely managing to escape his hand reaching for my arm. I might've forgiven him but that didn't mean I couldn't enjoy watching him try to work for it. I practically ran to the office, which killed my back, the ibuprofen still hadn't kicked in and I wasn't expecting it to anymore. Must be another werewolf perk. _Great._ Couldn't they come with a big list of the pro's and con's of being a wolf? It'd be a whole lot easier.

Other than wanting to torture Ryan, I needed to go to the office to turn in my counterfeit note from mom that I had written before school excusing my absence. Thankfully the front desk lady barely took one glace at it before typing something in the computer. Hopefully it was preventing a call home asking for an explanation for my absences earlier that morning.

I walked quickly to my car. Turning in my note reminded me that I had to do something to make my family talk to me again, I had no time for Ryan right now. Plus I had work in half an hour. I was in front of my car getting out my keys when a hand grabbed my shoulder, surprising me. I turned around, prepared for the worst, and threw a punch right into their gut. They doubled over and groaned, but it was just Ryan. Guilt hit me like a brick wall but I played it off as part of my 'I don't forgive you' façade. I took the opportunity to look him over while he wasn't looking.

A lot had changed about him in 3 years. He was taller, tanner, and more muscular. His brown hair was shaggier and sun-bleached on the top layers. His face was more angular and gaunt, like he grew into the baby fat she saw him with last. One thing was still the same, his eyes where the same deep gray. I didn't have to say he was hotter and it was obvious he knew it too. He walked and talked with confidence but he didn't seem arrogant.

Finally he recovered and said "OW! What was that for?!" He looked irritated. I just stared him down, enjoying my revenge.

He sighed, "Are you avoiding me?" he asked. His look changing from irritated to wounded.

"Yes." I said bluntly.

"Why?"

"I'm mad at you." I lied.

"Then let me apologize."

"I have work in half an hour and don't have time for your apologizes, so looks like you'll have to wait 'til next time." I smiled smugly at him and got in the car.

He grinned, "What time do you get off?"

_What is he planning,_ I asked myself. "Late." I replied, then shut my door and drove off.

* * *

I walked into the downtown plaza to the cafe where I worked 5 hours every weekday afterschool and 8 hours on weekends. The plaza was a retangular little nest of buildings that lit up at night and made it look like a party zone. There were neat square planters down the middle each with their own tree providing shade and a place to sit. The trees were also decorated to light up at night and the bases were surrounded by short black aluminum fences. Parking around the plaza was hard to find as usual but I was lucky to find one relatively close today. I walked in and greeted Lizzy, one of two other co-workers, on my way to set my stuff down in the back.

Like any other downtown building, the cafe was small, but cute and comfy. It had pale green walls with wooden tables and cushioned chairs. The walls were decorated with matching wooden shelves with different things resting on top of them. The few couches that were set-up around the cafe were gray or black and had green and beige pillows. There were also some potted plants spread around the room.

The café was usually busy with high school and college aged people when I got there and today was no different. Me and Lizzy switched constantly between manning the cash register and making the drinks. I always loved making the drinks especially when I got to put foam or whip cream on top. When the people started thinning out I began to clean the tables. I started thinking of ways to fix my relationship with my family.

I pretty much had everything straightened out with my apartment and if I practiced cooking some different things I could invite them for dinner. I could show them how good I'm doing and take my mom and sister for a pedicure or something. Though I was on a tight budget so there was a limit, my parents were helping me only so much. They had their own bills to pay with only so much income. My mom was unemployed and dad was an accountant.

I was on my last table when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I jumped, turned around and gave a little gasp. It was Ryan. "What are you doing here?!" I asked. "Did you follow me?"

He shrugged. "It wasn't that hard. Didn't you see me in the corner?" I faked a groan and moved to go to the counter, but Ryan put out his hand stopping me.

"Oh come on Rylie, can we at least talk?" he pleaded. Oh, this was too fun to watch.

"I'm working." I said curtly and walked away.

"I'll wait for you." He said. I kept walking and assumed working. _Like he's gonna wait four hours just to talk to me._

* * *

Half an hour had passed and Ryan still hadn't moved from the seat he had taken on one of the couches. He was starting to look bored though. He kept squirming in his seat and looking at his phone. I started to feel guilty. I waited fifteen more minutes thinking he would leave by then. When he finally did I was relieved. I would of felt really bad and embarrassed about making someone wait. But then he came back with a small box and all the guilt and embarrassment came back. When I finally got another break I went and talked to him.

"You don't have to wait for me, you know."

"But I need to talk to you."

"Look, you don't need to apologize, I already forgive you."

He crossed his arms over his chest and gave me a confused pouty look. "You couldn't of forgive me that fast. You were mad at me just an hour ago."

I looked away. "Maybe I was just teasing."

He stared at me, disbelief hung all over his face, then he huffed. "You're a witch you know that."

I gave him a mischievous grin.

"And here I was, ready to give you a 'please-forgive-me' present." He held up the little box.

I felt the color drain from my face. "You didn't."

He grinned. "You should think about that before you try to pull something like this again."

"I'm sorry." I said, mortally embarrassed.

"Nah, it's okay. I needed to apologize anyway, I should have told you." He held up the box that I saw him carry in.

I took it and smiled. "Thanks." I opened it. Inside were some paints and bushes.

"I remembered you loved to paint before and thought you would like some." Ryan said.

"These are great Ryan, thanks!" I gave him a big hug. I couldn't wait to go home and use them. I had actually been running out lately and with my tight budget I couldn't afford to get any more.

With his business with me apparently completed we exchanged a few words and he went home. I finished work, all the while imagining all the things I wanted to paint.

**_Please R&R! _****_J_**


	4. Chapter 4

**_Big thank you to my first reviewer, blackninja! It was really encouraging and I appreciate it!_**

Chapter 04

Today was Saturday. Right now, I'm sitting at the dining table, still in my pajamas and enjoying a cup of coffee. I was looking out the open window across from me. Early morning birds were singing and the sun had already shown up and slowly started its daily task of devouring the night. A cool morning breeze swept in through the window. About a week has passed since Ryan came to the cafe and my mind is constantly thinking of different things; ideas to bring my family together, pictures to paint, and occasionally of the attack in the forest. I was still kind of jumpy from that. Whenever people would approach me from behind, it was always gave me a scare and I was constantly aware of things moving at the edge of my vision. I guess you could say I was paranoid about someone coming after me.

But back to my family, I decided on my plan to paint them a picture and cook them dinner. It was hard though, every time I called them I mostly got short, cut-off conversations, though I could tell Dad was trying. But in the end it didn't matter, I wasn't able to tell them about the dinner anyway. It frustrated me so much. Why couldn't they just understand and forget about it! Though I suppose these things take time. Besides, it was good in a way, I had no idea what to paint and I barely knew how to cook, so I had to practice.

Ryan was good to make a comeback in my life when he did. With my relationship with him mended, he wasted no time introducing me to his friends, successfully distracting me from all the weird and upsetting stuff going on. His group was made of mainly five people, three guys and two girls; Connor, Garrett, Nick, Sasha, and Nicole.

Connor stands at an average height, with short blond hair and striking grey eyes. He loves soccer and as a result was very fit. He also has a great sense of style and is very smart. When we first met he was very quiet, but I could tell he was one of those people who just needed to get comfortable with you. I could tell by the way he acted with other people, goofy and happy-go-lucky.

Garrett is a darker blond, almost brown haired boy with brown eyes and freckles. He loves football and wrestling. He was kind of a flirt but has his respect for girls. His girlfriend is named Kailey. I found him to be a very loud but outgoing and fun person. He also has a good sense of style, but unlike Connor he often wears hats.

Nick is a shorter African-American. He is very buff and is the quiet type. He didn't say much and I could swear he's almost always glaring at me. He didn't seem very friendly or maybe he was just naturally closed-off. But he, like Connor, loves soccer and he also plays lacrosse. He has a simple jeans and T- shirt style.

Sasha is also an African-American. She is very lovely, tall and lean and she loved tennis. She also had an amazing voice; she could hit the highest notes, and was actually in her own band. She seems to have a very headstrong personality and is very opinionated.

Last of all is Nicole. I'm guessing she's Indian in race (she never actually told me) and has beautiful long black hair. Her skin is a lovely shade of honey brown. She loves volleyball and writing. Ryan said that she had a very sweet personality but for some reason, she didn't seem to like me. She seems closed off to me and all our conversations have been clipped and short.

Overall, they seemed like wonderful people, and a portion of them seemed to like me well enough. In fact they all invited me for a friendly game of soccer today, but I had to decline. I decided a while ago that this would be the day I started on my painting and I desperately needed some inspiration. I need to paint something really good-great- for my family, something that would impress them, something that would inspire them. I couldn't think of a better place to find inspiration then the forest.

So I got up and changed into some old jeans, a blue V-neck T-shirt and a threaded white cardigan. I grabbed my bag and stuffed a blanket and my sketchbook inside. I was nervous to go back to the place where I was almost killed, what if the killer was still there? Would he attack me again? But I talked myself out of it. I couldn't stay afraid forever and besides, it's not like I have to go to the same part of the woods. I also loved wooded areas, nothing could keep me away. It was so beautiful how the light shined though the leaves and there was always a sort of peace. But if I did run into him, I was certain I would be more prepared.

* * *

I found an area in the woods that was quiet. I was far enough from the road to not hear noise from the cars but not deep enough to get lost; or at least I paid attention to where I was going, unlike last time. The spot I chose had a bunch of mossy boulders scattered here and there, making it the perfect place to sit and sketch my picture. I got out my blanket and spread it over one of the boulders. I was surrounded by big leafy green trees and sunlight danced though the canopy above me. I began thinking of ideas, letting inspiration come to me and letting my hand engrave rivers of lead on the paper. Soon the sounds of the forest had totally relaxed me, I forgot about my previous fears and just let my mind wander and my hand draw.

I sketched several ideas before taking a break. Standing up and stretching, I took a deep breath. The scent of a man's cologne hit my nose. My wolf instinct immediately went on high alert, remembering the scent as the one my attacker wore. I cautiously observed my surroundings, ready to whip out my claws anytime.

"What are you doing here?" a masculine voice said behind me.

I was so surprised I jumped and gave out a startled little scream. Behind me stood a man of about twenty years, four years older than me. His brown hair was perfectly styled, but not in a way that made him look like he was trying too hard, it was perfectly suited for him. His eyes were a pale shade of green/ blue, like the tropical waters of the Caribbean. His skin held a light tan and he was tall and athletic. He also had a light scuff growing in. In short he was pretty attractive.

At first I thought there was no way he could be a supernatural creature, I mean he didn't look _not _human. But then again I did, so I kept my guard up. If he was my attacker, I would probably find out soon.

I gave him a confused look. "What do you mean? This area isn't open to the public?"

His eyes narrowed and he stepped closer to me. I resisted the urge to back up. "Not to your kind." He said.

I made a face, trying to hide my shock. 'Your kind' obviously referred to werewolves. "What's that supposed to mean?"

He smirked and leaned closer. "You don't remember me?" I shook my head no, growing more nervous by the second.

"Drop the act Were!" He snarled, showing the trademark elongated pointers of a vampire.

As if on instinct I turned, extracting my claws and tearing across his torso, immediately shifting into my wolf form and running for my life. My heightened senses heard a grunt and picked up the scent of blood. I didn't know where I was running, I had lost my sense of direction, but I hoped it was to the road. If I went deeper into the forest and he cornered me I would have no chance of being seen or escaping. Turning as I picked up the sound of running feet, I suddenly tripped and felt a white hot bolt of pain in my leg, starting at my ankle. I howled in pain and twisted around to look at my leg. It was caught in one of those animal foothold traps. No, no, no, no, no. This cannot be happening, I knew tugging was only gonna make it worse so I tried prying it open with my teeth. Nothing seemed to work.

The footsteps grew closer and I knew it was all over, he was gonna kill me. I shifted back to human form making another bolt of pain shoot though me. Seeing it though my own eyes didn't make it any better, the teeth were digging into my skin just above my right ankle. The flesh was pink and torn, my blood was everywhere. I groaned, panic settling in me, knowing I was about to die. I never even got to have dinner with my family, much less regain my relationship with them.

When the man showed up seconds later, he seemed distracted. He didn't even notice my leg was caught in an animal trap. To my surprise he said, "What did you do to me?"

"What?" I said, confused and shaking with nerves.

He gestured to his chest where my claws tore through his skin. His shirt was torn and I could see his toned but bleeding chest through it. "It's supposed to be healing."

I shook my head. "I don't…I don't know." I stumbled.

He narrowed his eyes, probably wondering if he could force a different answer out of me. He must have seen the pain on my face because he finally noticed my leg stuck in the trap. His face seemed to contort into conflicting emotions. But all he said was, "Did you run into that?"

I almost wanted to roll my eyes at his stupid question, but he seemed weaker, off-guard, and I didn't want to ruin his mood if it meant he would help me out. His threatening presence from earlier seemed to have turned into mild concern. He knelt down next to me and I instinctively tried to pull back. I instantly regretted it, the metal teeth scraped at my skin, tearing at my flesh and making the wound worse. I hissed in pain, I was defiantly gonna need stiches after. "Don't move your leg; it'll just keep getting tighter." He said. I nodded my head, showing I understood. He started the process of getting my leg out.

"Why didn't you kill me?" I asked hesitantly, hoping that he didn't forget and a reminder wouldn't send him on a killing spree. He paused to look at me. Then he gave a little laugh, "I'm wasn't gonna kill you. I was just trying to scare you so you wouldn't come back." He shrugged, "I thought I had accomplished that when I first ran into you. But obviously not."

A sliver of anger sprang through me. Scare me? Really! Are we in second grade? "What is this, your territory?" I asked, voice laced with annoyance, expecting a no.

"Actually it's my father's, he's the head of the family." He said, beating down my annoyance.

"Why do you need territory? And why keep werewolves out? I thought you hunted…we hunted different things?"

He gave me a look. "You're really are a newbie aren't you?"

"I turned three months ago."

"And you haven't met any supernaturals besides me?"

"Nope."

"That explains it." He played with the trap some more before answering my question. "Well, it's more for the werewolves' safety that we have borders. Vampires are a lot stronger than werewolves and if we ever got in a fight it's basically guaranteed that the vampire will win. The werewolves only have one position in their pack that's strong enough to beat a vampire and most packs don't have one."

I assumed the position he was talking about was the Alpha, but that didn't make sense, how could you have a pack with no Alpha. But I nodded like I understood. It didn't fool him. "You're not part of a pack are you?"

I stared at him, shocked. "How'd you know?"

"You're a lot weaker than other Weres, and Weres are weakest when not in a pack."

"Oh."

"Okay, brace yourself. This might hurt." He pulled apart the metal jaws, freeing my foot and I hissed in pain. I sucked in a breath and pulled my leg in to observe the wound. I gingerly touched it, bad idea.

"Thank you." I said, looking up at him. He nodded. After a moment, I remembered who I was taking to. "The blood doesn't bother you?" I asked, a little scared of what his answer would be.

He shook his head, amusement written all over his face. "I'm full."

I nodded thinking of all the things that could mean. After a few seconds he (I still didn't know his name yet) seemed to think something was wrong because he not too gently pulled my leg toward him. I almost slapped him.

"Why isn't it healing?" He asked urgency in his tone.

I gave him a look. "Is it supposed to?"

He nodded slowly. "You can't heal?"

"No." I shook my head, "And medicine doesn't seem to work." I said remembering the back pain I had for three days after he first attacked me.

His face immediately shifted into confusion, but he started ripping off a piece of his shirt to use as a temporary bandage. I could just see the beginning of the wound I gave him. I blushed. Then before I knew it he had wrapped my ankle and was carrying me princess style. "I'm taking you with me." He said.

**_Please tell me what you think!_**

**_-AvelineLotus_**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 05

"What?! No! Put me down! I don't even know your name!" I yelled at him, trying to squirm out of his hold. Nothing I did worked though, all he did was tighten his grip and I was immobile. Obviously he wasn't kidding about vampires being way stronger than werewolves. Despite him reassuring me that he wasn't gonna kill me, I wasn't gonna let him take wherever he pleased. And his change from mean and scary to mild and teasing didn't make me relax an inch. The fact that he was basically kidnapping me, made my guard shoot sky high and I had the urge to defend myself and snap his neck.

He waited 'til I stopped fighting and fixed me with his beautiful eyes. "You want to know my name?" He asked calmly.

I nodded.

"Brenton James."

"Can you please put me down Brenton?"

"But I don't know your name." He whined, mocking me.

His refusal to put me down made me nervous. There was no way I was letting him know anything more about me, and I wasn't about to let him take me anywhere he wished without a fight. "Put me down." I demanded, trying not to let my voice shake.

"Well, I guess that means you don't mind if I take you with me." He said starting to walk.

"Hey stop!" I said trying to squirm out of his grasp again. "I said stop!"

"And I asked for your name."

"Ok! Ok! Fine! My name is Rylie Walters."

He stopped walking and smirked. "Rylie Walters. What are you doing here after I almost killed you?"

"None of your business." I said crossing my arms. He gave a light laugh.

"And what makes this time different?" I blurted out, annoyed that he found me amusing. "Why didn't you try to kill me?"

The amusement died in his eyes. I instantly regretted my words. "Let's just say it wasn't a good time to be a werewolf."

His voice gave me shivers and I shifted uncomfortably. "Is now a good time?... To be a werewolf?" I asked hesitantly.

He looked down at me and he relaxed a little, some light returning to his eyes. "I'll make an exception for you."

I looked away, confused and unsure how to respond. He kept walking. I took a look at my clothes. They were dirty and my jeans had some grass stains. Picking a little dead leaf off my chest, I noticed that the sleeve of my white cardigan was stained red. Brenton's blood. Seeing it reminded me that I needed to get out of here. No matter how nice he was being now, Brenton was a stranger. I knew nothing about him and he was taking me somewhere I didn't want to go. He could be leading me into a trap, there was obviously some tension between the vampires and werewolves. What was stopping him from taking me somewhere private to kill me. I needed a plan.

Nothing came to me. The pain from my ankle was too distracting. The smell of asphalt hit my nose and through the trees I could see some black coloring. He was taking me to the road. He wasn't gonna dump me there to get run over was he?

My hands gripped his shirt. "Where we going?" I asked, letting my panic take the best of me.

He gave me a look. "The road."

"What are we gonna do there?"

"I'm taking you to your place."

I relaxed a little but didn't quite let go of his shirt yet. "What makes you think I'm gonna tell you where I live?"

He grinned mischievously. "Wanna go to my place?"

I hit his chest, knowing what he was suggesting. "My car is over there." I pointed to a white Subaru down the road.

* * *

Brenton set me down on my couch and leaned over to check my wound. He pulled up my pant leg a bit and I was immediately aware of the fact that my legs were stubbly; thank God he didn't seem to notice. He unwrapped my bandages. True to what I said, the wound hadn't healed one bit. It was still an ugly, nasty, bloody mess.

"I'm gonna have to stitch it." Brenton said. "Do you have a sewing kit?"

"Whoa, whoa. Hold on a sec! Don't you think a real doctor should do that?!" No way was I letting him anywhere near me with a needle.

He looked at me like I was stupid. "You can't go to the hospital. You said it yourself. Antibiotics don't work on you. You don't want them asking questions do you?"

He had a point. "It's in the bathroom cabinet on the third shelf." I sighed.

I directed him to the bathroom from my spot on the couch and he came out with rubbing alcohol and a small box filled with threads and needles.

"Which color do you want? Blue, red, pink, white, black, or green?" He joked.

I smiled. "Blue."

He grinned. "Finally! A smile!"

I wiped the smile off my face. No smiling in front of funny, hot, vampire strangers.

He uncapped the rubbing alcohol. I bit into the pillow resting on my lap to silence my screams as he poured it on my wound. Then he took out the thread and needle. I held my breath.

"Relax, I've stitched a wound before. It'll be over before you know it." Brenton said.

The needle pierced my skin and I closed my eyes. The sensation of a thread being dragged though my skin over and over and over filled me again and again. Finally he was done and he wrapped clean bandages around it. "Thanks." I say. My jaw hurt from biting down so hard.

"Try to stay off it for a couple days, the stitches might rip open." He told me. He sat on the floor across from me.

I nodded. "What about you? Shouldn't we treat yours too?"

"Hmm?" he asked.

"On your chest."

"Oh." He looked down at his chest, his shirt was ripped and bloody. Then he suddenly lifted his shirt up. Heat rose up to my face and I looked away. Did he have to do that so suddenly?

"I'm good." He said. He was right, what should have been a deep bloody gash now looked no deeper than if a house cat had attacked him. I couldn't help but check him out a little bit. His abs were delicious. _No. Stop. You don't know him._ I thought. Thankfully he put his shirt down.

"Why wasn't it healing earlier?" I asked.

He was silent for a moment. I could tell he was deep in thought. "I don't know." He said. _Liar._

He pointed to a piece of wood on the wall. "Who did that?" he asked.

"I did. When I was thirteen." The wood was painted blue, red, white, and purple, the colors all smeared together to make a colorful background. I had painted falling bird feathers on it with the top feather dissolving into tiny little black birds.

"It's nice." Brenton complimented.

"Thanks."

"So where's your family?"

"... My sister has soccer practice." It was true, she had practice every Saturday 4:30-6:00. I probably should have gone today to surprise her, but too late now.

He scoffed. "I know what a one bedroom apartment looks like."

Why couldn't he be stupid?

"Mind your own business." I almost snarled at him.

He put his hands up, "All right, all right, sorry princess."

I wanted to tell him to leave, but I didn't want to be rude. I started looking for my purse, but it was no where in sight. Oh, no.

"My sketchbook!" I gasped. "I left it in the woods." I turned to glare at Brenton. He had the nerve to look innocent.

"What?" he asked, completely ignorant.

"My sketchbook. I left it on the rocks when YOU snuck up on me." I accused him, angry.

He raised his brow. I almost tackled him right there. "You have to go get it."

He huffed then stood up and bowed, a look of agitation on his face. "Your wish is my command, _Princess_."

I loosened up and smacked myself mentally. His hand was just on the doorknob when I said, "Wait. I'm sorry, that was rude. It's just…it's really important to me."

His look softened the slightest bit. "I'll be back." And he slipped out the door.

* * *

It was approaching six o'clock, dinnertime, and Brenton still hadn't come with my sketchbook. I was beginning to regret telling him so rudely to get my sketchbook. Had he decided that he didn't like my attitude and never planned on bringing it back?

I almost decided to go back myself when Ryan texted me.

Ryan: Hey

Me: Hey, what's up?

Ryan: Are you busy?

Me: No

Ryan: Great! Meet me in five at the park?

Me: … Bring me crutches first

* * *

**_Hey! So I'm kinda disappointed in this chapter. I didn't really know what to do with it and had some serious writer's block. But tell me what ya think! Do you think any part of the story is going too fast? Or is there anything confusing?_**

**_~AvelineLotus_**


	6. Chapter 6

**_Hi Guys!_**

**_Just to let you know I changed the ending of chapter 5 just a smidge, so check it out if you wanna, but it isn't that important to the storyline._**

Chapter 06

Twenty minutes later Ryan was at my door with a pair of crutches.

"What happened to your ankle?" He asked, standing in the living room of my apartment.

"Oh, umm… I was taking a run this morning and I fell. My ankle… hit a rock. It got cut pretty bad. Had to get stitches." I said. It was half true.

"Oh…Why didn't the doctor give you crutches?"

"They uh…um…" Think. Think. Think. "They ran out." Lame.

Ryan gave me a skeptical look. "The doctor…ran out of crutches?"

I looked him dead on and shrugged. "Guess they forgot to order more."

I could see he clearly didn't believe me, but he didn't question any further. Instead he looked around. "So this is where you live now? It's nice."

I smiled. "Thanks."

"Where is everyone?"

Great, this question again? I knew I shouldn't of let him in, we should have just gone straight to the park. But, might as well tell him, right? He's gonna find out sooner or later.

"I moved out. My family and I had a bit of a… misunderstanding."

His eyebrows creased and his facial expression turned worried. "I'm sorry to hear that… Do you want to talk about it?"

I directed him to the couch and we sat. I shared what happened but of course left the werewolf part out. Ryan listened without interrupting.

"So why did you want to move out?" He asked once I was finished.

I shrugged. "I guess you could say I'm ready to be on my own." I gave a small smile and he smiled back.

"So what about your family? How are they doing?" I asked him.

"They're good. But my parents are still in Virginia."

"What? Really? How come?" The words flew out of my mouth.

He shrugged. "My brother wanted to move back here and I wanted to go back with him. But not my parents." He smiled. " I think they found their retirement home."

I laughed. So he was with his older brother? I remembered him. Carter Jace. Tall guy, very athletic, and very charismatic. He didn't look anything like Ryan though, who took after his mother. Carter was more like his father, dark hair and eyes, with pale skin.

Ryan suddenly stood up from the couch. He glanced at my leg. "Do you think you can make it to the park? I want to show you something."

I looked out the window, the sun was setting and the street lights were starting to turn on. "Don't you think it's kinda late?" I asked.

He grinned and took a bow. "Don't worry, I'll protect you from all the dragons and dirty criminals who want to steal your crown, my Lady."

_Wow, am I having a good hair day today, or what? Everyone's calling me princess. First Brenton now Ryan._

I laughed. "Okay my knight in shining armor! I rest my life your hands! Do not fail me!"

We cracked up. Ryan helped me stand up and got a coat for me to wear.

* * *

Me and Ryan made small talk on the ten minute walk (or in my case, hobble) to the park. The night was cool and the streets were lit up in an orange glow. Honestly it hurt my eyes, but it was peaceful. There was a few people walking in the park, but not many. We were approaching a bench and I stopped, expecting to sit but Ryan just kept on going.

"Aren't we going to sit?" I asked.

He turned around to look at me, then looked left and right, like he didn't want to be caught. "Uh…sorry, just a little farther. Promise."

We walked a little further to a little spot in the park that had more trees, enough so that if anyone looked over here, they'd only see shadows.

"Okay, this is perfect."

"For what?" I asked nervously, good friend or not, Ryan was a boy and I was alone with him in a dark place.

He took a deep breath, like he was nervous.

"Look, Rylie… um…sorry, I don't know how to approach this… ah…promise me something first?"

By now, I was intensely curious. What did he want to tell me? "Yeah. Anything."

"Don't freak out and trust me."

I held out my pinkie, giving him a small smile. He wrapped my pinkie with his and seemed to relax a little. Sometimes it was good to act like a child, it made people relax.

"I know you're a werewolf."

Silence. Nothing came from my mouth, nothing could, so I stood there staring, wondering if I should run and disappear off the face of the earth or stay and ask questions. He knew, how did he know?

"I know because I am one." Ryan said.

_What? _

Again nothing came out of me. I think it was because I had so many questions going through my head all at once and I didn't know which one I should ask first.

"Hello? Earth to Rylie?" Ryan waved a hand in front of my face.

I snapped out of my daze and jumped on him, throwing my arms around his chest, dropping my crutches in the process. "Oh, thank God! I thought I was alone!"

He chuckled.

"How did you know?!"

"I can tell when other werewolves are near."

"How? Why can't I?"

"Once you join a pack you become more powerful and gain more abilities. Stronger together right?"

"You're in a pack? Since when? Wait, when did you become a werewolf anyway? Do your parents know? Your brother?" Questions flew out of my mouth, I was hungry for answers and I wanted them now.

"My brother's Alpha—"

My eyes grew wide as saucers. "Really?"

He chuckled. "Yeah, that's why we moved back here, to build a pack. And no, our parents don't know, it's easier to hide it this way, since we're half way across the country."

"Oh." I was kinda disappointed in that answer. I was hoping for something that would help with my parents.

Seeing my sad expression, Ryan wrapped me in a hug. Tears started slipping from my eyes and I hoped he didn't notice. I was fed up. I didn't want this life anymore. I didn't want my heightened senses. I didn't want so much strength that all my pencils snapped when I got stressed. I didn't want night vision. I didn't want any of it. Not being able to trust my family, not being able to just relax, it was horrible.

Ryan pulled back and wiped tears off my face. "I didn't come just to tell you I was a werewolf." He said, gently holding my face in his hands. "I came to offer you a new family. Me—and my brother—want you to join our pack."

**_Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Thank you guys for all the lovely commentary, It's very encouraging! If you guys have any questions please let me know. Thanks!_**

**_P.S. jus to let you know I try to update every two weeks, but with school it's kind of hard :( _**

**_~AvelineLotus_**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"A new family." I repeated, _not exactly what I'm looking for, _I thought.

"Well… more like a second family." Ryan said.

_That's more like it. _I smiled. "Who's in it?"

"Me, my brother, Conner, Garrett, Nick, Sasha, and Nicole."

I gave a little laugh. "So that's why you guys are always together!"

Ryan laughed too. "Yeah. You may not like them at first but being in a pack…it's like you've got this bond that can't be broken. It's like everything about them that you hated… becomes tolerable. Like a sibling relationship but stronger."

"That would be nice." I hummed.

A moment of silence.

"So is there like an initiation or something?" I asked.

"Yes."

"What do you have to do?"

Ryan frowned a little. "I can't tell you. You have to go through it yourself. No cheats."

"Aww."

"You haven't accepted my offer though. Would you join us?"

"Hmm…" I pretended to think about it. Ryan's face immediately turned crestfallen and I giggled. "I'd be honored to."

Ryan picked me up in his arms and spinned me around in sheer joy. It wasn't anything romantic like you see in the movies, just pure joy. I laughed.

"Can I see what you look like?" I asked him when he set me down.

"I thought you would never ask." He said. In seconds a powerful brown-speckled, grey-eyed wolf stood before me.

* * *

I stared at the phone laying across from me on my bed. What am I going to say? They haven't answered my calls in _weeks_. Talking about family last night with Ryan had given me an intense longing to talk to my family. Before I could talk myself out of it, I grabbed my phone and dialed mom's phone. No answer. I dialed the home phone.

"Hello?"

For a moment my voice was stolen from me, someone actually answered this time!

"Amanda? Hey, it's Rylie."

"…Hi."

I tried not to let that less than enthusiastic response get to me.

"How are you?"

"Good." Amanda said, clipped and short. She didn't ask me how I was doing.

"Are mom and dad home?" I asked. I didn't hear an answer 'til several seconds later.

"Hello?" My dad's voice asked on the phone. Annoyance crept through me. Did she really just do that? All I did was asked if they were home, not if I could talk to them. Maybe I wanted to talk to her. Never the less I made small talk. This time he asked how I was doing.

"So are you guys doing anything today?"

"No."

I got excited. "Great! Can I take Amanda to the mall today?"

"Uh… Ask Amanda."

He handed the phone to Amanda and desperation filled me. What if she said no?

"I made plans with my friends today so I can't go to the mall." Liar.

I sighed. "Why don't you want to go to the mall with me?"

"I told you I made plans."

"No, you didn't. You're my sister, Amanda. I know your lying voice."

"Whatever." She scoffed. The line went dead.

I huffed and collapsed into my pillows. _Brat, she's only eleven and already she has the attitude of a teenager._

There was a knock on my front door. Urgh, who would be knocking this early in the morning? It better not be solicitors, I'm really not in the mood right now. I grabbed my crutches and hobbled to the door, ready to tell whoever it was to go away. It was Brenton. In his hand was my bag that I took to the woods. I could see my blanket and sketchbook inside.

I sighed in relief. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." He said, holding out my stuff.

I took my belongings and stepped away from the door, expecting him to leave but instead he asked, "Can I have some water?"

I nodded. "Of course."

I let him in and made my way to the fridge. Once I opened the fridge door and reached for the water pitcher, my crutches created an obstacle for me. Trying not to drop my crutches, I squeezed my armpits and reached again.

"Here, I'll get it." Brenton said, coming up from behind me. I moved out of the way to let him get the water. I pointed to the cabinet closest to the fridge.

"The cups are up there."

"Thanks." He poured himself a glass, leaned against the counter, and tipped his head back. I watched him, a little distracted. His Adam's apple bobbing up and down as he swallowed. He finished the glass.

"You didn't look through this, right?" I held out my sketchbook, flipping through the pages.

He smirked. "You'll never know."

I hit him with my sketchbook. He laughed.

"You looked didn't you?!" My head was filled with all the bad drawings in there, urgh, it was so embarrassing!

"I didn't look! I swear!" he held up his hands.

I huffed, rolling my eyes, but not commenting.

"So what's really going on with your family?" he changed the subject.

"Where did that come from? Were you listening in on my conversation?" I accused, voice laced with annoyance.

He shrugged. "When I got here you were on the phone and I didn't want to interrupt. I only heard the last minute or so."

"Well don't worry about it, it's none of your business."

"Oh, C'mon, you can tell me." He begged.

"Snoopy much?"

"I'm a detective. I'm naturally _curious_."

"I'm still not telling you, I don't even know you."

"Then get some coffee with me." He grinned.

I didn't say anything. Just stood there stubbornly.

"You look like you could use some time to take your mind off things."

I sighed. "Fine, but I'm meeting a friend at five."

"It's just coffee, Princess. Not a date." He smirked.

* * *

**_So this chapter was a little short and didn't neccessarily have anything exciting in it, but the next chapter definitely will! Please R&R!_**

**_~AvelineLotus_**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

After we had gotten our coffee we walked around the park Ryan had taken me to the night before. Now that it was daytime, I could see the park in more detail. The sidewalks were lined with different bushes and flowers. The trees spread around the park, providing shade and their falling leaves would soon provide children with leaves to jump in. There was a small pond filled with geese that I hadn't noticed before.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" I asked, holding my pumpkin spice latte in my hands. "I thought we were mortal enemies."

"My problem is with the pack of werewolves living here. You aren't part of the pack and I don't prey on the innocent." Brenton smiled at me. Sweet. Too bad he didn't know I was meeting Ryan at five to talk to his brother about my initiation. And of course, I wouldn't mention it.

"What exactly did they do?" I asked. He made it sound like they did something truly horrible.

Brenton looked away. "They…one of them… attacked my sister. Nearly killed her."

"What?" I asked extremely perplexed. I knew everyone in Ryan's, or I guess Carter's pack, and though I may not know Ryan's friends that well, none of them seemed like the killing type. I almost asked Brenton who did it but that would imply that I knew something. So instead I asked, "How do you know the wolf that hurt your sister was part of the pack? What if there are other loners, like me?"

Brenton's gaze turned back to me, this time it was dark, black as night, and shivers ran down my body. "Because my sister would have had someone like you in two seconds. You're not capable of lasting two minutes without the strength you get from the pack. I heard her screaming and when I found her, I pulled the wolf off her, started beating the shit out of it, and three others came out and ganged up on me. Vampires maybe stronger than werewolves but if they have enough numbers they can beat us to a pulp, no problem. Anyway after they scratched me up good they backed off and retreated. I took my sister home and she has only just recently recovered."

I tried to hide my utter shock and horror with sympathy for his sister. There was no way that was Carter's pack. But what if it was? Who would it have been? Ryan? No way.

"I am so sorry for your sister, Brenton." I put my hand on his shoulder. "When did…" I cleared my throat. "When did this happen?"

"A few days before we first met, when I almost killed you." Brenton's eyes were blank, staring right through me.

My back started hurting again, as if remembering the pain, and I felt like someone was choking me. "Oh."

Silence.

I cleared my throat. "Is that why you tried to kill me?"

That seemed to snap him out of his daze, his eyes met mine and he smiled without humor. "Look who's finally catching on."

I cleared my throat again. "Do you know how many packs are out there?"

"There's only one, they showed up six months ago." Brenton said gravely.

_No way. _I looked down at my pumpkin spice latte, drawing on its warmth to thaw my frozen fingers. My entire body felt cold. There was no way one of them _tried _to kill her.

Brenton put a warm hand on my shoulder. "Hey, you okay? You look pale."

I shook my head. "Yeah. Just didn't think they would be—I mean that they would do something like that."

His tight expression relaxed and he chuckled. "Not everyone can have a heart as good as yours."

"How are you so sure I have a heart of gold? It could be as deep and dark as the Marina Trench." I said, looking at him in the eye. It was joke of course, I wasn't evil, but I wanted to hear his answer.

He seemed to think over this for a moment, his eyes never leaving mine. Then he laughed and said with utter confidence, "You forget that I'm a detective Rylie, my job is to observe, people-watch. I'm very perceptive. There's nothing behind your eyes but innocence and love, your demeanor is anything but callous or aggressive—you do however show a fluent ability to lie, which shows that you have felt the need to hide for quite some time. Am I right?"

I found it disarming how he had collected all that from the few interactions we had had. I swallowed hard before saying, "Spot on."

He bit his lower lip before speaking again. "When were you bitten Rylie?"

I surprised myself by telling him the truth, "Three months ago," I said.

"And let me guess, you moved into your apartment soon after?—afraid of what your family would do if they found out?"

I nodded.

"And they took your moving away personally?"

"Yeah, they won't even talk to me let alone—" I gasped mid-sentence, "You tricked me! You manipulative little—"

"Woah! Calm down! I didn't do anything! We're just talking…" He put his hands up by his sides and his face looked confused, like what-the-heck-set-her-off-this-time.

"My family is none of your business." I huffed, crossing my arms.

"We're back to this again? Look, if you think I tricked you, you set yourself up for it, all I did was ask questions that you didn't have to answer." He looked pissed now. He was right of course but I had too much pride to admit that.

"Why are you asking all these questions anyway? What am I to you? Don't you have better things to do?!" I yelled at him.

He shook his head. "I think you need to cool down." He was gone in a blink of an eye.

Regret and guilt seeped into me. Once again I had let anger get the best of me. First with my sketch book and now this. Was this another Werewolf perk? Or was it just him? Or me? Either way I needed to apologize.

**_Hey Guys! So chapter 8 up! Tell me what you think! 3_**

**_~AvelineLotus_**


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